


Tiger and Pretty Boy

by EideticPrettyBoySpence



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:34:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EideticPrettyBoySpence/pseuds/EideticPrettyBoySpence
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32
Collections: harringrove for Australia





	Tiger and Pretty Boy

Billy didn't really know what to consider Steve if he was being honest. They had been fooling around since shortly after his family moved to Hawkins. Billy had felt an instant attraction to the doe-eyed boy when he spied him from across the parking lot on the first day of school. He allowed his mind to wander, thinking back to the first time he saw his Bambi.

When they were put on opposite teams for basketball in gym, Billy had made sure he was the one blocking for Steve. Just so he had an opportunity to be near him without it being weird.

Billy didn't want to show how much he was drawn to the other boy. The last time he got involved with a boy Neil beat him so badly he almost ended up in the hospital. He wanted to beat his boyfriend, but he moved them out of California instead. So even though he didn't want to, Billy did everything he could to push the other boy away.

"Harrington, right? I heard you used to run this school. That true? King Steve, they used to call you, huh? Then you turned bitch."

"Hey, maybe you should just shut up and just play the game."

Billy checked Steve, stealing the ball and making a basket. He couldn't help but look over at the other boy while he ran his tongue slowly along his bottom lip. Then he scowled as Nancy Wheeler came into the gym, calling to Steve and waving him over. He channeled his frustration into winning the basketball game.

The next day, they're playing basketball again. After Billy steals the ball from Steve, he laughs and calls out to the class. "King Steve. King Steve, everyone. I like it. Playing tough today."

"Jesus! Do you ever stop talking? Come on!"

"What? You afraid the coach is gonna bench you now that I'm here? Huh?" 

Billy checks Steve hard enough to knock him down. After he makes yet another basket, he reaches for the brunette's hand, leaning in to whisper to him softly.

"You were moving your feet. Plant them next time, draw a charge."

After class, in the showers, Billy chooses a spot right next to Steve, across from a douchebag named Tommy. He turns to talk to the doe-eyed boy, ignoring Tommy for the moment. "Don't sweat it, Harrington. Today's just not your day, man."

"Yeah. You and the princess break up for one day, she's already running off with the freak's brother. Oh, shit. You don't know. Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday, still haven't shown. But that must just be a coincidence, right?"

Tommy laughs, grabbing his towel and wrapping it around his waist as he walks away. Billy's heart thuds with desire and hope when he hears about Nancy. He keeps his face neutral as he turns to Steve.

"Don't take it too hard, man. A pretty boy like you has got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea. Am I right?" Billy turns Steve's shower head off and slaps his arm. "I'll be sure to leave you some," he says as he walks away.

A few weeks later, Billy is getting ready for a date when there's a knock on his door. He opens it to find his father and Susan standing there. Susan looks worried, and Neil doesn't look pleased. But then again, he never does when talking to Billy.

"What's wrong?" Billy asks.

"Why don't you tell us?" Neil replies.

"Because I don't know," Billy shoots back.

"We can't find Maxine," Susan says.

"And her window's open. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Billy's heart rate picks up.

"You don't know?" Neil scoffs.

"Look, I'm sure she just, I don't know, went to the arcade or something. I'm sure she's fine."

Billy turns and walks back to his closet, grabbing a brown leather jacket. Neil follows, almost stalking him.

"You were supposed to watch her."

"I know, Dad. I was," Billy sighs. "It's just you guys were three hours late, and, well, I have a date. I'm sorry, okay?"

"That's why you've been staring at yourself in the mirror like some faggot instead of watching your sister?"

"I have been looking after her all week, Dad, okay? She wants to run off, then that's her problem, alright? She's thirteen years old, she shouldn't need a full-time babysitter. And she's not my sister."

Billy knew right away he'd gone too far as he clicks off his boom box. A moment later, he gets shoved against his shelves and there's a hand around his throat. "What did we talk about?" Neil punches him and asks again. "What did we... talk about?"

"Respect and responsibility."

"That is right. Now, apologize to Susan."

"I'm sorry, Susan."

"It's okay, Neil, really."

"No it is not okay. Nothing about his behavior is okay. But he's gonna make up for it. He's gonna call whatever whore he's seeing tonight and cancel their date. And then he's gonna go find his sister. Like the good, kind, respecting brother that he is. Isn't that right, Billy. Isn't that right!"

"Yes, Sir," Billy says softly.

Neil sighs. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"Yes, Sir," Billy repeats, louder.

Once Neil leaves the room, Billy hits the bookshelf in frustration. He brings his hands up to his face, and when he puts them down, his eyes are brimming with tears. He grabs his keys and storms out of the house, speeding off in the direction of Steve's house. He doesn't think, he just drives, he has to get away from Neil.

When he pulls up to Steve's house the other boy comes out on the porch. Billy can't resist teasing the brunette a bit. "Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?"

"Yeah, it's me, don't cream your pants."

Billy walked slowly up to the porch, limping a bit from hitting the shelf. He groaned as he started to step up on the porch. Steve frowned and stepped back a bit.

"Can I come in? I, uh, kind of ran away. Got in a fight with Neil."

"Yeah, come in, let me get a look at you," Steve lead the way into the house. "My room is this way, come on."

Once they reached Steve's room, Billy hesitated in the doorway. Steve took his hand and pulled in gently inside, easing him down on to the mattress. He went into the bathroom to grab a washcloth, alcohol, and bandages, running the washcloth under hot water before bringing all the supplies back to Billy. Then he went to work silently cleaning the cut on Billy's lip. Once he put the alcohol away and put the washcloth down the laundry chute, he came back to his room and sat on his desk chair. After a moment, Billy breaks the silence.

"Thanks," Billy says softly.

"You're welcome. You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I was getting ready for a date, and he knocked on my door. He started yelling about how Max ran away when I was supposed to be watching her, and then I smarted off to him. Told him how she shouldn't need a full-time babysitter, and how she wasn't my sister. And so he shoved me against the wall and punched me. Told me to apologize to Susan, even though I didn't do anything to her, and to cancel with whatever whore I had a date with and go find Max. So I grabbed my keys and just started driving; the next thing I knew I was outside your house."

"Billy, I need to tell you something."

"Wait, Harrington, I've got something to say first. So just shut up and listen, cause this is hard for me to admit," Billy sighed and rand a hand through his hair. "I don't know why, but I've always felt... drawn to you somehow. Since the first day, I came to Hawkins and saw you from across the parking lot. But you were dating Nancy, so I kept my mouth shut. But then she broke up with you, and I saw how broken you were about it. I wanted to hurt her for the way she treated you. Because the truth is, after spending time with you in gym, I started to... fuck, never mind, I can't do this."

Billy walked to Steve's bedroom door when the other boy called his name. "Billy, wait, don't go."

The blonde boy feels Steve standing behind him, so he turns to see the brown-eyed boy right behind him. He takes a step back until his back hits the door. "What... what are you..."

Steve grabs the collar of Billy's jacket in his fists, stretching up to press his lips firmly against the other boys'. Billy presses his hands against Steve's chest but doesn't push him away. By the time Steve pulls away, Billy is breathless. 

"I like you, too, Billy."

He's pulled out of his daydream when Steve's fingers brush through his hair. "What you thinking about, Hargrove?"

"Just how lucky I am that I moved here. Otherwise, I'd never have met you. Hell, I don't know where I'd be, maybe dead. Neil is probably gonna end up killing me one day, either on accident or on purpose, you know that, right?"

"I'll never let that happen, Billy. I'll protect you. Always."


End file.
